Contributors

9 August - Feeling better

Has it really been more than a month since I last posted here? I know I said that "no news is good news" but several followers commented that they would like to continue receiving news about how I am getting on. So here's an update.

Today we made the return trip to Carlisle to keep an appointment with the oncologist. We learned nothing new. He asked how I was, I told him I was feeling fine considering, so we received a new appointment to see him in three months' time.

In truth, I'm feeling better than I have at any time since the treatment of my brain tumour began. In fact there are times when I completely forget that I'm ill at all, never mind have a terminal illness.

I'm not back to my original fitness though. I tire more easily than I did before and I don't think I could climb much of a hill, though I'm starting to venture further afield. I still get bouts of vertigo that make me sometimes nearly lose my balance when I am walking, and cause me to use both hands on both rails when coming down the stairs.

I have lost most of the excess weight I had gained whilst I was on steroids: I'm down to 91kg now and I had been over 100kg. That makes me feel better too. I still have the goal of getting down to 89 kilos which was what I was BT (before tumour.)

The one thing that disappointed us is that I was not given a date for a new MRI scan. The doctor said that as I'm not having headaches, vomiting or seizures and am feeling fine there is no reason to have a scan. But I'd prefer it if we could keep an eye on things. A glioblastoma multiforme grade 4 is considered incurable. So I believe that there is still some tumour left and expect that one day it will grow back again. I'd rather find out when this happens before I start experiencing headaches, fits and vomiting.

I don't really want to live with a time bomb in my head and have no idea what the fuse is set for.